Box-sox system for protecting contents of opened boxes

ABSTRACT

Adjustable semi-rigid, or rigid plastic covers for protecting the contents of opened food boxes and the like during storage and for preserving pouring sanitation; deep skirts are provided for simplest protection of all types of openings and special dovetail provisions are made to assure free, non-jamming operation.

United States Patent Kapilofi [451 Se t. 19,1972

1541 BOX-SOX SYSTEM FOR PROTECTING CONTENTS OF OPENED BOXES [72]Inventor: Anita L. Kapiloff, Mariposa, Stevenson Rd. Extended,Stevenson, Md. 21153 [22] Filed: Jan.4, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 103,522

[52] US. Cl ..229/43, 220/8, 229/6 R,

229/D1G. 3 [51 Int. Cl. ..B65d 5/64 [58] Field of Search ..229/43, DIG.3, 6 R; 220/8 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,695,222 12/1928 Arnold et al. ..220l8 UX 2,627,801 2/ 1953 Danziger ..220/8 X2,628,761 2/ 1953 Yancey ..229/43 X 2,805,812 9/ l 957 Seaton ..229/432,948,624 8/ 1960 Watson et a1. ..220/8 X 3,110,436 11/1963 Wagner..229/43 3,134,499 5/1964 Johnson ..220/ 8 Primary Examiner-M. HensonWood, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Thomas C. Culp, Jr. Attorney-John F.McClellan, Sr.

[5 7] ABSTRACT Adjustable semi-rigid, or rigid plastic covers forprotecting the contents of opened food boxes and the like during storageand for preserving pouring sanitation; deep skirts are provided forsimplest protection of all types of openings and special dovetailprovisions are made to assure free, non-jamming operation.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures minnow 1 e m SHEEI 1 0F 2 INVENTOI K. ANITAL. KAPILOFF ATTORNEY PATENTED E l 9 7 rb 1 ||2- 1 TOP SIDE END SIDE Q JFlG. 4

U ll4\ SIDE END SID-E ,5

FIG. 5

INVENTORm ANITA L.KAPILOFF BY WQTW L ATTORNEY BOX-SOX SYSTEM FORPROTECTING CONTENTS OF OPENED BOXES This invention relates generally topackage utilization and specifically to box reclosure systems.

Although food products have been packaged and sold in shelf-storage typeboxes, principally of cardboard, for generations, and although they arein greater demand every year, there are both obvious and hiddendisadvantages in the use of such boxes.

Most such boxes are opened by cutting or tearing away a portion of thestructure, making the contents accessible for removal. Usually theentire contents are not required, and the remainder is stored in theopened box until needed.

Unfortunately, until the present time, there has been no widely acceptedmeans of reclosing such boxes, and the contents, when boxes are opened,are usually accessible to contamination and subject to deterioration.

Contamination can be of many kinds, depending on the location, and canbe difficult to detect, depending on the source. Crawling and flyinginsects and their droppings, rodent infestations, and airborneimpurities can all be responsible for package contamination and humanillness.

Not always noticed, but dangerous, are contaminations by non-foodstuffssuch as insecticidal sprays and dusts, cleaning powders and fluids,disinfectants, drain opening chemicals, and the like, which areaccidentally spilled onto the tops of food packages by housewives, foodhandlers, young children, or others who may be removing or placingarticles in adjacent shelf-storage.

Even if the food box has a side-opening, when the contents are pouredfrom the opening, as into a cereal bowl, any free particles or liquidwhich may have been spilled on the box top will gravitate into the bowlalong with the food. Housewives and other food handlers may wipe-off boxtops after purchase and before opening, but not always after storage ontheir own shelves.

It is a principal object of the present invention, therefore, to providea closure system for opened food boxes which protects the contentsagainst adulteration and deterioration.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clo sure system asdescribed which will prevent foreign material from being spilled ontothe tops of food boxes and then poured off into food receptacles whenthe contents are poured from the boxes.

A further object of this invention is to provide a closure system asdescribed which will reliably close a wide variety of sizes of boxes andtypes of box openings.

And a further object of this invention is to provide a system asdescribed which will also fit the bottoms of boxes, so that the boxescan be set on moist surfaces without wetting the contents.

Still further objects of this invention are to provide a closure systemas described which is simple to understand and to use, which isconvenient and nonjamming in operation, and which is easy to clean.

And yet further objects of this invention are to provide a closuresystem which is attractive in appearance, which is extremely economicalto manufacture, and which affords areas suitable for advertising andother messages.

The invention is characterized by paired inter-sliding box-top closurehalves forming an assembly sized to fit in width where desired, andadjustable in length, with provision for interchangeability of parts ofa given width; in all embodiments oversize width is compensatable byfriction fit in length for top-opening and side opening boxes.

The above objects and advantages of this invention will become betterappreciated on examination of the following description, including thedrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of thisinvention, in place on a box;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the underside of an assembly similar inmost respects to the FIG. 1 embodiment;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation in section of another embodiment of thisinvention installed on a box; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are layouts indicating the relative sizes of the parts ofan assembly made according to this invention.

Turning now to the Figures in detail, FIGS. 1 and 2 show in perspective,various features of an assembly comprising one embodiment 10 of thisinvention, a sock-like assembly fitted over the box forming a Box- Soxclosure. FIG. 1 shows the invention in place on a box B.

The assembly is composed of only two parts, unit 12, shown on the leftand unit 14 shown on the right. The units are similar in design,although sized differently so that one unit 12 adjustably slides withinthe other unit 14.

Unit 12, the inner unit consists of a top 18, parallel-spaced sides 20and 22, and an end 24. Unit 14, the outer unit similarly consists of atop 26, parallelspaced sides 28 and 30, and an end 32. The top and sidesare integral and continuous, with no openings between or in them.

On assembly, the inner and outer units are in nested adjustablerelation, top sliding against top and sides against sides, but with theends opposed, forming an adjustable box-shaped enclosure having an openbottom, as best diagrammed by FIG. 2, the inverted view of an assemblysimilar to that of the FIG. 1 assembly.

In use, as shown, this assembly is placed as a shelter or cover over anopened food box such as a pancake flour box, a cereal box, aconfectioners sugar box, or the like. A tight fit is assured, ifdesired, by choosing the proper Box-Sox assembly from a set. The extremesimplicity and directness of design makes it possible to produce theseclosures at trifling unit cost, using high-volume thermoplastic moldingtechniques to form polyethylene, polystyrene or other suitable plasticsin quantity. Sets of various stepped sizes to fit the most commonbox-top widths are supplied, and box-top length is easily matched byadjusting the sliding feature of this invention.

In addition to the designed difference in size to permit the tight, butnon-jamming, sliding relation of the parts there is another differencein the design of the two units, a guide-track engagement which holds thetwo units together.

The bottom edges 34, 36 of the sides 28, 30 of the outer unit 14inwardly extend to overlap at least a portion of the bottom edges 38, 40of the sides 20, 22 of the inner unit 12. The overlap is omitted, forclarity, in FIG. 2. This engagement preserves the close fitting relationof the two parts of the assembly at all times they are together, yetallows easy disassembly, quick and thorough cleaning, and easyreassembly, when necessary. Preferably, the outer unit is inwardlyextended throughout the length of the unit to improve the seal.

As supplied, the units are made sufficiently long, in proportion tocommon box sizes to retain at least onehalf inch overlap when fullyextended as required, so that there is no air passage to the interior.Foods retain freshness, neither becoming stale nor soggy, when coveredsecurely in this manner. Granular soap products which would otherwiseharden into lumps on exposure to moisture remain free-pouring.

Whendesired, the assembly can be fitted on the bottom of, for example, asoap container which is in the use during laundering operations, toprotect the bottom of the package from wet surfaces on which placedafter the laundering is completed. When the box is to be removed forstorage, the Box-Sox assembly can be placed on the top again to preventdeterioration of the contents, or spillage when the box is moved. Thisfeature prevents loss of the assembly, as well. The invention is alsovery useful at the beach, when camping, on picnics, or in movingtrailers for these reasons.

As indicated in the Figures, the two units 12 and 14 are ofapproximately equal length, so that they can be extended to fit anyboxtop length from the completely retracted dimension of the units tothe fully extended dimension, which is almost double the retracteddimension, maximizing the range of extension.

The generous downward extensions of skirts of the sides and ends areproportioned to assure covering any ordinary box opening whether on top,side, or end of the box.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of serried orrecessed areas 42, 44, on the sides of the respective units, affordingnon-slip grips under all conditions, and making possible one-handadjustment of the lengths of most sizes of the assembly. These areas mayalso be placed on the other exterior surfaces of the assembly.

From FIGS. 1 and 2 it will be appreciated also that the flat top and endareas of the assembly are ideally adapted to bear advertising or othermessages, whether molded in or applied. A variety of colors can beprovided to give the consumer choices.

FIG. 3 is a transverse section in elevation of a different embodiment 50of this invention in place on a box B. Although operation and uses ofthis embodiment are the same as previously described, the structures ofthe inner unit 118 and the outer unit 126 are somewhat modified toprovide different guide-track means, which is better adapted for someinjection molding production processes.

In the FIG. 3 embodiment a dovetail arrangement engages the slidinginterfaces of the nested tops of the inner and outer members, asfollows. An undercut spline 34 protrusive from one member engages anundercut longitudinal keyway 136 in the other member. The spline and thekeyway can be in either member. The spline is integrally 'molded, as isthe keyway, preserving the two-part simplicity and economy of theassembly.

In this embodiment as in the prior one, it can be seen that jamming andsnagging of parts of the assembly on torn or distorted box structure isentirely avoided, since the interior surface of the Box-Sox in allembodiments are smoothly faired.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are proportional layouts of the end, top, and sides of aninner unit 112, and of the end, top, and sides of a matching outer unit114, as realized in a preferred plastic embodiment like that of FIG. 3,showing the extremely simple relation of the parts.

Disregarding allowance for sliding clearance, it can be seen that thedimensions which are not identical differ only by one or by twothicknesses t of the plastic. A typical small-size box representingcommercial packaging practice has a top length of 1 V4 inches and a topwidth of 3 34 inches. A typical larger-size box has a top length of 3inches and a top width of 6 it inches. The present invention in suitablesize-embodiments covers these boxes perfectly, and can be made inpractical embodiments to fit much larger or much smaller boxes.

It will readily be appreciated that the sides and top of either unit canbe extended without altering the fit. Particularly, is is apparent thatthe outer unit 14 can be elongated in this manner to provide a greaterrange of extension than before while preserving the exact same internalretracted dimension.

Although the width dimension of the closure is fixed, it will beappreciated that the cup-like design of the device affords good closureof a top-opened box or an end-opened box even though the width dimensionof the closure is oversize. Good retention is assured by closing thelength of the assembly to a tight friction-fit with the ends of the box.Even though there may be sprin gy, torn cardboard or paper atop the box,the assembly can be pressed down and retained by the tight friction-fitof the cover with the ends of the box.

Because there are no closure slides or parts to be bent, boxes protectedby this invention are safe for children to open and reclose. Last butnot least, is another safety feature of this invention, previouslyindicated. Because the B0x-Sox" must be removed to allow any pouring ofthe contents from a box protected by it, any contaminative matter whichmay have been spilled accidentally over a box protected by thisinvention will not be poured with the food or other contents, butinstead will be safely set off to the side with the protective cover.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

1. An adjustable-length closure adapted for protecting the top and upperside portions of a rectangular box, including openings therein, and,alternatively, for protecting the box bottom portion from liquidpenetration, comprising: a first, rectangular unit having integral,continuous top, parallel-spaced sides, and end; a second rectangularunit having integral, continuous, top, parallel-spaced sides, and end;the first unit being adapted for sliding within the second unit, withall said top and sides in contact and said ends opposed, the lower edgesof the sides of the second unit inwardly extended, overlapping andsealing the lower edges of the first unit, thereby forming anadjustable-length assembly having an opening for receiving andprotecting said portions of a box.

2. An adjustable-length closure as recited in claim 1, wherein thelengths of the respective first and second units are substantiallyequal, thereby providing max- 5 imum range of extension of said closure.

3. An adjustable-length closure as recited in claim 2, wherein outerportions of the sides of the respective wherein the respective tops ofsaid units are joined by a dovetail slide.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,692,230 Dated September 19, 1972 Inventor(s) Anita L. Kapiloff It iscertified that error appears in the above-identified patent v and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

, On the cover sheet, item [72] should read Anita L. Kapiloff, 2845McGill Terrace, Washington, D.C. 20008 Signed andsealed this 2nd day ofJanuary 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLE TCHER,JR. ROBERT G OTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents FORM PO-10S0 (10-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-5 69 v U15. GOVERNMENTFRINYING ornc: I!" o-aes-azm

1. An adjustable-length closure adapted for protecting the top and upperside portions of a rectangular box, including openings therein, and,alternatively, for protecting the box bottom portion from liquidpenetration, comprising: a first, rectangular unit having integral,continuous top, parallel-spaced sides, and end; a second rectangularunit having integral, continuous, top, parallel-spaced sides, and end;the first unit being adapted for sliding within the second unit, withall said top and sides in contact and said ends opposed, the lower edgesof the sides of the second unit inwardly extended, overlapping andsealing the lower edges of the first unit, thereby forming anadjustablelength assembly having an opening for receiving and protectingsaid portions of a box.
 2. An adjustable-length closure as recited inclaim 1, wherein the lengths of the respective first and second unitsare substantially equal, thereby providing maximum range of extension ofsaid closure.
 3. An adjustable-length closure as recited in claim 2,wherein outer portions of the sides of the respective units have gripimproving means thereon.
 4. An adjustable-length closure as recited inclaim 3, wherein said closure consists of thermoplastic material.
 5. Anadjustable-length closure as recited in claim 1, wherein the respectivetops of said units are joined by a dovetail slide.